Perhaps it helps to alter the direct lights into high intensity IDL lights (objects with high ambient values). When using panels like that (to mimic photographers softboxes) I noticed a rather constant lighting level at short distance, and about inverse square at large distance - like mentioned by BB above.

BTW I found IDL to become splotchy as well at low lighting levels in an uneven lighting ditribution. Like using mentioned softboxes but no light from a dome, and the panels at a larger distance from the objects in the scene and/or rather small compared to those objects. Growing the panels and putting them close to the objects helped a lot (as it does in reallife photography as well!!).

In other words: we might have to undertake a rather serious investigation to the splotchiness of IDL in general. Time to re-open Muppets Lab...

- - - - - 

Usually I'm wrong. But to be effective and efficient, I don't need to be correct or accurate.

visit www.aRtBeeWeb.nl (works) or Missing Manuals (tutorials & reviews) - both need an update though